High hormone levels may affect a woman’s ability to pay attention, according to a trial published in the journal Brain and Cognition. Women commonly experience high estrogen levels during ovulation, and these findings suggest it may interfere with their concentration.

Researchers from Concordia University in Canada used mice during latent inhibition, which is a test used with many animal models, and allows investigators to observe groups while they learn various tasks.

During the study, the team exposed the animals to a certain musical note which resulted in no distraction-related problems. After the researchers found the rats were used to the noise, they used another type of stimulus that was similar to the original tone.

The team discovered that rats with higher levels of estrogen experienced difficulty remembering the note. However, animals will low hormone levels were able to focus on the new stimulus.

Wayne Brake, senior author of the study, stated that “although estrogen is known to play a significant role in learning and memory, there has been no clear consensus on its effect.” He added that these findings suggest that high estrogen levels inhibit the cognitive ability in female rodents.”

In addition to monitoring one’s hormone levels, taking supplements enriched with antioxidants may improve cognitive function, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.